by Óskar Guðmundsson (T. Quentin Bates)
SYNOPSIS
Tony is a young man who has always been on the losing side in life. He was brought up by his troubled, alcoholic mother who had a past of her own as a talented ballerina, until a life-changing accident brought her dreams to a sudden end. As her own ambitions for fame and success were crushed, she used cruel and brutal methods to project them onto her young son - with devastating consequences. There's no doubt that a body found on Reykjavik's OEskjuhlid hillside has been there for a long time. The case is handed to veteran detective Valdimar, supported by Ylfa, who is taking her tentative first steps as a police officer with the city's CID while coping with her own family difficulties. It's not long before it's clear a vicious killer is on the loose - and very little about the case is what it appears to be at first glance.
REVIEW
The first thing that struck me while reading The Dancer was that the writing is beautiful, the descriptions have a lyrical quality about them and this creates such a strong contrast to the darkness of the story. Secondly, I was truly captivated by the unique and interesting set of characters. The two detectives, Valdimar and Ylfa, were especially intriguing. Even though they played their part in the police procedural parts of the story, I felt like there was so much more I wanted to know about them. I would love another chance to learn about Valdimar’s history in the police force and how Ylfa’s relationship with her partner and daughter is going to turn out.
I studied classical ballet for fourteen years so I particularly love crime novels where ballet forms part of the narrative. I always feel like there’s something mysterious about the darkness backstage and the bright lights of the theatre. The competitive nature of the dance world also lends itself so well to a thriller or murder mystery and The Dancer had all of these elements and more. There is always an exploration of good and evil in the traditional ballets and this story was like a written reflection of this idea - the main character has had this darkness forced upon them and there isn’t always a happy ending.
This story is one of obsession, revenge and the humiliating consequences of years of abuse. This alone makes it a harrowing read, however the resulting crimes take it to another level and have the extreme brutality you tend to expect from a Nordic Noir novel. Altogether, I thought that this short novel really managed to pack quite a punch into its 200 pages!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With a unique voice and a style that doesn't shy away from a sometimes graphic take on shocking subject matter, Oskar Gudmundsson is one of the rising stars of the Icelandic crime fiction scene. His debut novel, Hilma, was awarded the Icelandic Crime Syndicate's Drop of Blood award for the best crime novel of 2015. The first in a new series of novels, The Dancer was published in Icelandic simultaneously as an ebook, audiobook and paperback - accompanied by an original song in which Oskar's words have been put to music featuring some of Iceland's leading musicians - and was an immediate bestseller. Oskar's talents don't end there, as he's also an artist and has held a number of exhibitions of his work.
Thanks to Corylus Books @CorylusB - Ewa Sherman @sh_ewa for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Icelandic Noir / Police Procedural / Thriller
ISBN: 978-1739298951
Pages: 201pp
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